Taking you back to the sights, sounds, and the people of the 20th Century

September 3, 1988: Motormouth first airs on ITV

Motormouth was a Saturday morning children’s television series that was produced by TVS and broadcast across the ITV network for four series, running between September 3, 1988 and April 4, 1992. Each series generally ran from the autumn of one year to the spring of the next, as was common among many ‘main’ Saturday morning series.

The programme was launched following the decision to axe No. 73, which had run in the same slot until early 1988. No. 73 had been revamped during its final series as 7T3, with a partially exterior set. However, the new 7T3 set-up was expensive and difficult to produce, and so it was decided to switch to a fully studio-based set-up. Whereas No. 73 had included an inherent narrative storyline, the decision was taken that Motormouth would have a straightforward magazine presentation format.

The studio set for the first series was dominated by several giant inflatable elements, including a giant motorised mouth, from which the show took its name. In the second series, billed in some cases as Motormouth II or Motormouth 2, there were changes, including the introduction of new graphics and set elements based on cogs and sprockets. The use of the giant mouth declined following this alteration.

The show’s third series – which boasted new graphics and remixed theme music, and was for a brief time billed as All New Motormouth – also had a new, predominantly white set; the giant mouth was removed altogether at this point, along with all other remaining inflatables. This series saw the introduction of a diner-style set (sometimes referred to as ‘The Motormouth Cafe’) which saw guests and audience members sitting at tables. This format and styling was left largely intact for the fourth series.

The first series was presented by a five-strong lineup of hosts, two of whom had previously appeared on No. 73. Neil Buchanan and Andrea Arnold. Gaby Roslin joined in the second series and Andy Crane joined from series three.